Contact rail for electric traction



May 8, 1923- 1,454,296

H. PARODI CONTACT RAIL FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION Filedf June 15 1922 ATTEIP N EYZI I Patented may 8, i923.

HIPPOLYTE Panonr,

OF EARIS, FRANCE.

CONTACT BAIL FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION.

Application filed June 15,,

three rails, hitherto in use, the endeavour has been to eiiect the contact of one surface against another surface by using a rail of ordinary shape on the top of which slides a contact shoe or skate. In reality however, contact is only established at a number of points, the position of which changes constantly with the electrical con tact. Consequently the current is subject to continual interruptions manifested by sparks and even by arcing.

On the other hand in the case of an overhead current-collecting rail, snow and sleet may be deposited on the surface of the rail. thus forming a hard insulating crust which cannot always be scraped off or removed by the current-collecting shoe unless suflicient pressure is used, so that the shoe has a plan ing action on the rail.

The object of the presentinvention is a new construction of the current collecting rail allowing the collection of high intensities of current, without the production of arcs or sparks, under all conditions of working which may be encountered.

In order to understand the invention more clearly reference is made to the accompanying drawing which shows the transverse section of a current-collecting rail by way of example. In said drawing the rail comprises a rail body 1 of steel-the shape of which depends on the method of fixing adopted-and. of a sectional area sufiicient to give the neces sary conductibility. This rail body extends upwardly in the form of a thin ridge 2 rounded off at the apex 3 which constitutes the line of contact proper against which the shoes bear.

The contact of the shoes is linear, as is the case with a trolley wire, and not over a surface. The points of mechanical and electrical contact thus coincide and excellent contact can be assured however much the current-collecting shoe may suffer displacement.

Snow cannot accumulate in. large quanti- 1922. Serial N0. 568,640.

ties on the rounded apex and any layer of sleet which may form will always be too small to possess any great mechanical strength and will bebrushed off and broken up by the brushing action of the shoe.

Moreover, in the case of sleet, the heat produced by the arc would melt the ice in the immediate neighbourhood of the point, Where a new contact is about to be established by the movement of the shoe, thus preventing interruption of the electrical contact along the line.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. Contact'rail for electric traction, allowing currents of great intensities to becollected efliciently under all conditions, said contact rail comprising a rail body provided with shoulders and with a thin rounded errtension to make linear contact with the current collecting means travelling thereover and to prevent the accumulation of snow anal sleet on the contact surface of said rail bo v.

2. A contact rail for electric traction, al

lowing currents of great intensities to be collected efficiently under all conditions, said contact rail. comprising an upwardly extending rail. body having a thin ridge formed at its upper end, against the apex of which ridge current collecting means travelling thereover are adapted to bear.

3. Contact rail for electric traction, allow ing currents of great intensities to be collected efiiciently under all conditions, said contact rail comprising anupwardly eXtending rail. body having a thin ridge formed at its upper end rounded-off at its apex against which the current collecting means travelling thereover are adapted to bear.

Contact rail for electric traction, allow- .ing currents of great intensities to be collected efficiently under all conditions, said contact rail comprising an upwardly extending rail body provided. with shoulders and I having a thin ridge formed at its upper end, against the apex of which ridge the current collecting means travelling thereover are adapted to bear.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of at subscribing witness.

HIPPOLYTE PARODI. 

